1.
Effect Of Different Bedding Materials On The Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics And Immune Response Of Three Different Broiler Strains
by Muhammad Irfan (2013-VA-966) | Prof. Dr. Athar Mahmud | Dr. Shahid Mehmood | Prof. Dr. Saima.
Material type: ; Literary form:
not fiction
Publisher: 2015Dissertation note: Broiler birds spent most of their life in close association with bedding material. Managing poultry house bedding material is an important husbandry practice. The type of bedding material can affect the performance of the broilers to a certain extent in terms of growth performance, carcass characteristics and immune response. In Pakistan, selection of bedding material is dependent upon season and availability with little knowledge of interaction with particular broiler strain. Although, it is well documented that different strains have the tendency to perform differently in similar environmental conditions still performance of particular cross on a given bedding material is not studied. Poultry industry is constantly interested in evaluating the performance of the commercially available broiler strains. The concept of using different bedding materials for three different commercial broiler strains was evaluated at the Poultry Research and Training Centre (PRTC), Ravi Campus Pattoki, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. A total of 360 day old commercial broiler chicks from three different strains (Ross 308, Cobb 500 and Arbor acres) 120 from each strain were purchased from the local market. All the day old chicks having uniform body weight were randomly distributed into 36 replicates having 10 chicks each and were fed the same quality of feed. Birds from each strain were reared on each bedding material in three replicates to evaluate the ultimate growth performance, carcass characteristics and immune response influenced by four different bedding materials for the period of 5 weeks. Three birds were randomly picked up from each treatment group at the end of trial and 5 ml blood was collected in marked test tubes from Jugular vein of each bird during slaughtering to obtain serum samples. The data were analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique using PROC GLM in SAS 9.1. Means were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range (DMR) test.
The findings of the present study exhibited that Cobb 500 reared on corn cob pulp showed significantly (P<0.05) better final weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio,European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF), Point Spread (PS) and Livability. Regarding carcass characteristics better dressing proportion, breast yield, leg quarter yield, giblet weight and other body measurements were observed in Cobb 500 followed by Ross 308 and Arbor acres strain reared on other bedding materials used in this experiment. Corn cob pulp showed maximum potential with the best moisture absorbing capacity and favored the growth of birds followed by rice husk, wheat straw and wood shavings. Wood shaving proved to be a poor choice as it hinders the growth performance and was hard to manage due to wet, scaly and cake formation that promoted pathogenic growth leading to FPD. Moreover, corn cob pulp was better suited to promote dry condition because of fine particles size allowing more surface area for moisture evaporation and keeping it dry for longer duration. Therefore, birds kept on corn cob pulp were more comfortable as it is evident from the results that it has the potential to be used in poultry industry as alternate bedding material. Rice husk performed next to corn cob pulp while wheat straw and wood shavings did not impress by the outcome and proved to unfit for better growth and welfare of birds. In the current study, birds generated protective antibody titers against Newcastle Disease virus and no significant differences were found by using different bedding materials or broiler strains.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the observations made from the current experiment it may be claimed that:
• Corn cob pulp proved to be the most efficient as it significantly improved the growth performance and carcass characteristics of 3 commercial broiler strains especially for Cobb 500.
• Corn cob pulp being most comfortable promoted health and welfare of birds leading to improved immunity against pathogens and viral diseases.
• FPD can be reduced to minimum by adopting corn cob pulp as bedding material due to its fine particles and highly moisture absorbing abilities.
• The highest carcass yield, dressing proportion, organ weight (heart weight, abdominal fat, liver, spleen, heart, thymus, bursa) along with breast yield, neck, keel and shank length were recorded by Cobb 500 on corn cob pulp.
• Cobb 500 strain was found better than rest of two strains (Ross and Arbor acres) regarding growth performance and carcass characteristics.
• Being a by-product of corn processing, corn cob pulp is the cheapest and can be an economical alternate to conventional bedding materials for all strains especially for Cobb.
In Pakistan rice husk and wood shavings are abundantly used bedding materials depending upon season and availability. Rice husk is by product of rice processing and highly dependent upon season, while poultry farming is a continuous business so its availability stands as a major issue. Whereas, corn cob pulp being a by-product of corn processing is usually left on fields or wasted. So it can be used as a cheap alternative with better performance but its availability around the year and on commercial scale can be an issue.
Availability: Items available for loan: UVAS Library [Call number: 2424-T] (1).
2.
Effect of Super Doses of Phytase from Two Different Sources on Growth Performance, Phosphorus Utilization and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers
by Faisal Mushtaq (2009-VA-369) | Prof. Dr. Saima | Prof. Dr. Athar Mahmud.
Material type: ; Literary form:
not fiction
Publisher: 2016Dissertation note: Cereal grains contain almost two-third of the P that is present in phytate form. Phytate possesses anti-nutritive properties as it binds other nutrients like amino acids and carbohydrates. Birds are unable to use P bound with phytate complex. The phytate P is excreted into the environment causing pollution. To compensate requirements expensive inorganic P sources like DCP and rock phosphate are used in poultry diets, which ultimately increase the ration cost. Exogenous phytase is capable of degrading phytate into lower esters having less chelating capacity. Commercially phytase enzymes are being added in the poultry diets to hydrolyze the phytate P that can replace the expensive inorganic P addition. In the industry, phytase is being added in the poultry diets at 500 FTU/kg. Use of phytase at this rate still leaves some gap. Keeping this thing in view present study was planned to use the super dose of phytase from two different sources (Buttiauxella and E.coli) to minimize the anti-nutritive aspects of phytate and use the phytate P at maximum. For this purpose 35 day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of super dosing of phytate from two different origins on growth performance, phosphorus utilization and carcass characteristics of broilers. For this in total, 672 one-day old broiler chicks were randomly selected& assigned to 8 dietary treatments, each having 3 replicates of 28 birds. One group was reared on positive control diet formulated according to the Hubbard strain recommended guides with adequate P without any phytase addition. Second group was offered NC diet (deficient in Av.P). While other six diets were formulated with three levels (500, 1000, 1500 FTU/kg) of E.coli and Buttiauxella origin supplemented in NC diet. The FI, BWG and FCR were recorded at the end of each week. At the end of experiment n=3 birds per replicate were selected randomly, weighed and slaughtered to estimate plasma P, ileal digestibility of P, tibia ash, organ weight and dressing percentage. The data collected were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA)
SUMMARY
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technique in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and means were be compared through Duncan’s multiple range test (DMR) (Duncan 1955) by using SAS (version 9.1; SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC).
Results of the experiment revealed that FI, BWG and FCR was higher 48%, 11% and 64.5% respectively in phytase supplemented diet best treatment T8, when compared to the NC. Phytase supplementation had no effect on organ weights. Organ weight was higher in diet low in NPP. Phytase supplementation had no effect on gizzard weight even at higher doses. Similarly phytase supplementation had positive effects on bone mineralization. Phytase addition in the diets improved tibia ash, Ca and P% at all levels (P <0.01). Plasma P level was significantly increased at higher level of phytase. The AIDC of P was linearly increased by phytase supplementation. Considering the economics phytase supplemented diets at higher level 1500 FTU/kg were most economical when cost of feed calculated to attain 1kg of live weight.
From this experiment it can be concluded that phytase supplementation at higher dose than the standard ensures the maximum break down of phytate P and reduce its anti-nutritive aspects apart from the source of phytase used in the experiment. Dietary inclusion of phytase at super dose economically generates the bio-available P and reduces the P load in the environment improve growth performance, and bone mineralization.
To replace the highly expensive phosphorus sources super dose of phytase can be used instead of standard dose. It can replace the expensive source of inorganic P and economically can generate more profit. Optimum level of phytase in the diet need to be reevaluated to replace inorganic P to some extent, minimize the anti-nutritive aspects of phytate and reduce P load in the environment. Availability: Items available for loan: UVAS Library [Call number: 2607-T] (1).
